Mars Dump is a multinational company that is caught by the
Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Details of ETS are as follows:
It is a cap and trade scheme in which permits are traded in an
active market. Its annual compliance period is from 1 July of the
current period to 30 June of the following year.
Each participating company receives an allocation of free
permits each year based on their reporting carbon emissions from
the previous period. In the case of Mars Dump Ltd, permits to emit
36 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents have been issued on the
first day of the current period (i.e. 1 July 2019) when the market
price of a permit was $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide
equivalents.
During the 2019/2020 financial year, Mars Dump emitted 37 000
tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents, which exceeded its permitted
emissions of 36 000 tones. This occurred despite the managers of
Mars Dump estimating that it had emitted 19 000 tonnes of carbon
dioxide equivalents by 31 March 2020 and was therefore on target to
emit 36 000 tonnes by 30 June 2020. The market price of a permit is
$27 on 31 March 2020. As a result of exceeding allowed emission
levels, on 30 June 2020, Mars Dump purchased 1 000 permits at a
market price of $33 per tonne. Mars Dump uses the cost model in
accordance with AASB 138, and amortises any deferred income arising
from the permits using the proportion of actual emissions to
estimated total emissions.
Required
1. How can stakeholder theory be used to explain companies
voluntarily undertaking corporate social responsibility reporting?
Discuss.
2. “There is no mandatory reporting of corporate social
responsibility in Australia.” What is your understanding of this
phrase? Explain.
3. Account for above events in the books of Mars Dump Ltd for
the period 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 in accordance with the
requirements of Interpretation 3 and AASB138.